When you create a form or survey, the first decision you face is where it will live. Should it sit inside your existing webpage, blending seamlessly with your content? Or should it stand alone on its own page, ready to be shared anywhere with a simple link? The answer shapes how people experience your form, how you distribute it, and ultimately how many responses you collect.
This guide breaks down both approaches, embedded and hosted forms, so you can pick the right one for every situation or combine them for maximum reach.
What are embedded forms?
An embedded form is placed directly within an existing webpage. Visitors interact with it without ever leaving the page they are on. The form becomes part of the page layout, sitting alongside your other content like text, images, and navigation.
How embedded forms work
There are several technical approaches to embedding a form:
- Web components: A custom HTML element that loads the form natively in the page. This is the most modern and flexible approach, avoiding many common issues with older methods.
- Iframe embedding: The form loads inside a small window on your page. It works reliably but can have limitations with height adjustments and styling.
- Inline JavaScript: A script renders the form directly into your page's DOM. This allows tight integration but may require more setup.
With AskUsers, embedded forms use web components, which means the form loads as a lightweight HTML tag on your page. There is no complex configuration needed, and the form adapts to your page layout automatically.
Think of it this way: An embedded form is like a painting hung on the wall of your house. Visitors see it as part of the room. They never leave your space to view it.
What are hosted forms?
A hosted form lives on its own standalone page with a unique URL. Users access it by clicking a link, scanning a QR code, or typing in the address. The form page is fully self-contained, with its own layout and branding, and does not depend on any other website.
How hosted forms work
When you create a form, the platform generates a shareable link such as askusers.org/f/your-form-id. Anyone with the link can open the form in their browser. There is no need to embed anything or have access to a website.
Hosted forms are designed to be shared through any channel:
- Email messages and newsletters
- Social media posts and direct messages
- QR codes printed on physical materials
- SMS and messaging apps
- Internal team communication tools
Think of it this way: A hosted form is like a standalone kiosk in a shopping mall. People walk up to it directly. It does not depend on any particular store to exist.
Pros and cons of embedded forms
Advantages
- Brand consistency: The form inherits the look and feel of your website. Users see your navigation, logo, and design language surrounding the form, which builds trust.
- No context switch: Users stay on your site. They don't open a new tab or navigate away, which keeps them engaged with your content before and after submission.
- Higher conversion on existing pages: When a form appears naturally within a landing page or product page, it catches users at the moment of interest. There's no extra click to reach it.
- In-context feedback: You can collect feedback about a specific page, feature, or piece of content right where the user experiences it.
- Multiple forms per page: You can place different forms in different sections of the same page, each serving a distinct purpose.
Disadvantages
- Limited by page layout: The form must fit within your page structure. If your site has a narrow content column or complex layout, the form's display area may be constrained.
- Potential CSS conflicts: On rare occasions, your website's existing styles may interfere with the form's appearance. Web components largely prevent this, but it's worth testing.
- Requires website access: Someone needs to add the embed code to your site, which means you need access to your website's code or CMS.
- Not shareable as a link: You can't paste an embedded form into an email or social media post. You'd share the page URL that contains the form instead.
Pros and cons of hosted forms
Advantages
- Works anywhere: Share the link via email, social media, QR codes, SMS, or messaging apps. No website required.
- No technical setup: You don't need access to any website or CMS. Create the form, copy the link, and share it.
- Full-page experience: The form gets the entire screen. There are no distractions from other page elements, navigation menus, or sidebars.
- Easy sharing and tracking: A single link can be distributed across dozens of channels. You can track which channels drive the most responses.
- QR code ready: Hosted form links work perfectly with QR codes for collecting feedback at physical locations, events, and printed materials.
Disadvantages
- Users leave your site: Clicking the link opens a new page, which means users navigate away from your website or content.
- Less brand context: Although you can customize the form's appearance, users won't see your full website design around it.
- Extra step required: Users must click a link and wait for a new page to load, which adds friction compared to a form already visible on the page.
- No surrounding content: You can't place supporting text, testimonials, or other persuasive elements around the form as easily as on your own page.
When to use embedded forms
Embedded forms are the right choice when the form is part of an existing user experience on a page you control.
Feedback widgets on your app or site
When you want to collect user feedback about a specific feature, page, or experience, an embedded widget keeps users in context. They can rate their experience or leave a comment without leaving what they were doing.
Lead capture on landing pages
Landing pages are designed to convert visitors. An embedded form on the page lets visitors sign up or request information immediately, without navigating elsewhere. This reduces friction and increases conversion rates.
Contact forms on your website
A "Contact us" page with an embedded form is the standard approach. Visitors expect to fill out the form right there on your site, not be redirected somewhere else.
In-app surveys
If you run a web application, embedded surveys let you collect feedback while users are actively using your product. This captures fresh, contextual impressions.
Checkout and registration flows
Forms that are part of a multi-step process on your site, like account creation or checkout, should always be embedded. Redirecting users to a separate page during these flows would break the experience.
Rule of thumb: If users are already on your website and the form relates to what they are doing there, embed it.
When to use hosted forms
Hosted forms are the right choice when you need to reach people outside of your website or when you don't have a website at all.
Email campaigns
You can't embed an interactive form inside an email. Instead, include a link to a hosted form. Recipients click the link and land on a clean, focused form page. This is the standard approach for email surveys and lead capture.
Social media sharing
Post a hosted form link on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook. Followers can click through to complete the form. This works for polls, feedback collection, contest entries, and event registrations.
QR code feedback at physical locations
Print a QR code on a poster, receipt, table tent, or product packaging. When scanned, it opens your hosted form directly in the user's mobile browser. This bridges the gap between physical and digital feedback collection.
Standalone surveys sent to customer lists
When you send a satisfaction survey or research questionnaire to your customer database, a hosted form link is the cleanest approach. Customers click the link and see only the survey, with no distractions.
Internal team forms
HR surveys, IT requests, operations checklists, and other internal forms are easily shared as links within your organization's communication tools like Slack, Teams, or email.
When you don't have a website
Not every business or project has a website. Hosted forms give you a professional way to collect information without needing one. You get a clean, branded form page ready to share immediately.
Rule of thumb: If you need to send people to the form rather than place the form where people already are, use a hosted form.
Decision framework: quick checklist
Use these four questions to decide which approach fits your situation:
1. Where will users encounter this form?
If users will find the form while browsing your website or using your app, embed it. If you need to send them to the form from somewhere else, like email or social media, use a hosted form.
2. Do you control the destination page?
If you have access to your website's code or CMS and can add an embed snippet, embedding is an option. If you don't control any webpage, a hosted form is the only practical choice.
3. Is brand consistency critical?
If the form must feel like a seamless part of your website experience, embedding gives you the tightest integration. If the form stands on its own and brand context from the surrounding page is less important, a hosted form is fine.
4. How will you distribute the link?
If distribution happens through email, social media, QR codes, or messaging apps, you need a shareable URL, which means a hosted form. If the form lives permanently on a specific page of your site, embedding makes more sense.
Quick summary: Use embedded for on-site experiences. Use hosted for off-site distribution. When in doubt, consider whether you are bringing people to a page (embedded) or sending a link to people (hosted).
Using both together: the hybrid approach
You don't have to choose one or the other. Many teams use both approaches simultaneously for the same form, depending on the channel.
Example scenario: A SaaS company launches a customer satisfaction survey.
- Embedded: They add a feedback widget inside their app so active users can respond while using the product.
- Hosted: They email a survey link to customers who haven't logged in recently.
- Hosted + QR: They print a QR code linking to the survey at their conference booth for in-person attendees.
All three channels feed into the same form and the same results dashboard. The only difference is how users reach the form.
This hybrid approach maximizes your reach. You meet users where they are, whether that's on your website, in their inbox, or standing in front of a poster.
How AskUsers supports both approaches
AskUsers is built to support both embedded and hosted forms out of the box, so you can choose the right delivery method for every situation.
Embeddable widgets with web components
AskUsers provides web component widgets that you can drop into any webpage. Add a simple HTML tag to your site, and the form appears inline, as a popup, or as a slide-in widget. The web component approach avoids CSS conflicts and loads efficiently without slowing down your page.
Widget options include:
- Inline forms that sit within your page content
- Popup forms triggered by user actions
- Modal dialogs for focused form experiences
- Customizable trigger buttons and display rules
Hosted form pages with shareable links
Every form you create in AskUsers automatically gets a hosted page with a unique, shareable URL. You can share this link in emails, social media posts, messaging apps, or anywhere else. The hosted page is mobile-responsive and loads quickly.
QR code generation
AskUsers generates QR codes for your hosted forms, making it easy to bridge physical and digital feedback collection. Print the QR code on any material, and respondents scan it to open the form on their phone.
Both approaches, one dashboard: Whether responses come from an embedded widget or a hosted link, all data flows into the same results view. You can analyze responses together or filter by source.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same form as both embedded and hosted?
Yes. With AskUsers, every form can be embedded on your site and shared as a hosted link at the same time. Responses are collected in one place regardless of how users access the form.
Do embedded forms slow down my website?
Web component-based embeds, like those from AskUsers, load asynchronously and have a minimal performance footprint. They do not block your page from rendering and load only when needed.
Can I customize the appearance of hosted forms?
Yes. You can apply your brand colors, logo, and styling to hosted form pages. While the page won't show your full website design, it will still reflect your brand identity.
Which approach gets better response rates?
It depends on context. Embedded forms tend to perform better when users are already engaged on your site, because there's no extra click. Hosted forms perform better for outreach campaigns where you're sending a direct link to a targeted audience. The best strategy often combines both.
Do I need a website to use hosted forms?
No. Hosted forms are completely standalone. You can create, customize, and share them without having a website at all.
Can hosted forms be used with QR codes?
Yes. Hosted form URLs work perfectly with QR codes. AskUsers can generate QR codes for your forms, which you can print on any physical material.
Ready to create your first form?
AskUsers supports both embedded widgets and hosted form pages. Create a form once and share it anywhere, on your website, by email, via QR code, or on social media.
